NEW intelligence into the MH17 bombing suggests Russia may have supplied rebel separatists with the sophisticated weaponry used to shoot down the plane.

Fresh US intelligence assessments released on Sunday matched claims by Ukraine security officials that Moscow provided the pro-Russia separatists with the deadly missiles believed to have been used in the attack. The US believes the missiles are part of a cache of weapons supplied to the rebels by Russia during the past month that also saw a Ukranian cargo plane shot down on July 14.

The latest developments have increased pressure on Russian president Vladmir Putin to cooperate with an independent international investigation into the attack.

Ukraine Security Service counter-intelligence chief Vitaly Nayda said there was strong proof the attack, that killed 298 people, was planned and committed with the participation of the Russian Federation.

Mr Nayda said the Malaysian Airlines flight was shot down with the use of a Buk-M1 antimissile system believed to have been transferred, along with its crew, from Russia to Ukraine.

“The SSU conducts investigative actions and receives irrefutable evidence that Russian citizens were involved in the act of terrorism,” he said. “All Russian media is lying, it’s cynical propaganda. They are trying not to be responsible for this. But we have evidence. Obvious evidence.” Among the evidence were pictures allegedly showing the Buk-M1 system being transferred back to Russia hours after the attack.

Ukraine has warned the rebels also planned to remove key evidence across the Russian border.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Sunday the international community had a “very high degree of confidence” MH17 was brought down by a missile launched by Russian backed rebels.

“There is very, very strong evidence that sophisticated weaponry has moved across the border from Russia into Ukraine.” Mr Abbott did not rule out barring Mr Putin from attending November’s G20 summit in Brisbane.

He said Russia could not wash its hands of the incident because it happened in Ukrainian territory.

“The Russians, as everyone has seen over the last 48 hours, are trying to wash their hands of this,” Mr Abbott said.

“But it is impossible for Russia to wash its hands of something which happened in what is effectively Russian-controlled territory, it seems at the hands of Russian-backed individuals, most likely with a Russian supplied or facilitated weapon.”